ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Finance
Effective use of technology enables Goa Central GST Commissionerate to administer Taxation remotely
COVID19 Pandemic saw business transitioning to remote work and building efficient strategies thereof. Central GST Commissionerate Goa swiftly adopted technologies of remote work so that businesses are kept buoyant and Tax payers are at ease.
The Systems Directorate of Central Board of Excise and Customs  gave remote access to CBIC-GST application to all officers through Virtual Private Network so that work is not hampered. During the lockdown, Goa Commissionerate processed and disposed 54 GST refund claims. Four refund claims pertaining to erstwhile central excise and service tax were also disposed .10360 returns pertaining to both central excise and service tax were also reviewed. 255 cancellation requests sent by taxpayers were processed and 311 cancellations were done suo-motu by officers of CGST.
Earlier an Ordinance was issued to provide relaxation in the provisions of certain acts. The time limit for filing of appeal, furnishing of return, or any other compliance under the GST Act has been extended as per the Ordinance. CBIC has also issued several circulars as part of the Trade Facilitation Measures during outbreak of COVID-19.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Industry must Reduce Dependence on Imported Goods - Piyush Goyal
To make Industry Competitive and Proactive Government and Industry must work together - Piyush Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Inaugurates Exports Summit 2019
Piyush Goyal,Minister for Commerce and Industry and Railways, addressed the inaugural sessionat the Exports Summit 2019 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry  in New Delhi today. He emphasized that Indian industry must be enabled and empowered to take advantage of global value chains. He further noted that it is important for Government and industry to work together to make industry more competitive and more proactive.Government is working to bring more predictability to export finance, exports scheme and productivity added the Commerce & Industry Minister.He further stated that each of our embassies must have a representative from Indian states so that there is greater understanding of state level policies for foreign investors.
Highlighting the NIRVIK scheme also known as Export Credit Insurance Scheme  the Commerce & Industry Minister said that this initiative of the Government is for addressing the problems of export financing that industry is facing.
Piyush Goyal informed that the Government is stepping up engagement with EU, US, and UK separately, to secure markets for Indian exports even as it withdrew from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. He hoped that industry will support the Government in its efforts to bring down non-essential imports and reduce its dependence on imported goods and will embrace domestic regulation and step up production by taking advantage of the policies the Government is rolling out.
Commerce & Industry Minister along with Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII launched two reports prepared by CII on "India's Exports - Trends, Challenges, and Future Strategy" & "India's Exports to Emerging Economies: Targeting Prospects and Chasing Opportunity" during the inaugural session.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
DPIIT announces One District One Product Awards; application process remains open till 31.07.2023
In its continued dedication to advancing the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for balanced regional development, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade  proudly launched the One District One Product  Awards on June 15th on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal. These prestigious awards aim to recognize and honour those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments within their respective Districts, States/UTs, and International Missions abroad in achieving economic development through the ODOP approach.
The Awards focus on the following:  Encouraging constructive competition, innovation, and efficient public service delivery in successful ODOP interventions;  Promoting replication and institutionalization of best practices through experience sharing and  Recognizing innovations done for successful identification and solving bottlenecks in the supply chain of ODOP products.
The application process for these awards commenced on 25th June 2023 and the applications will remain open till 31st July 2023. All States/UTs, district administrations, and Indian Missions abroad are eligible to participate and are strongly encouraged to apply.
District administration, State Administration, and Missions Abroad are encouraged to actively apply for the awards so that an example could be set which could fuel innovation and effective public service delivery under ODOP.
In line with the Prime Minister's vision of AatmaNirbhar Bharat, numerous initiatives have been undertaken by various Ministries of the Government of India. One such initiative is the One District One Product  program, spearheaded by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade .
The ODOP initiative aims to foster socio-economic development of all districts of the country. The idea is to select, brand and promote One Product from each District of the country, to identify and solve problems associated with each of the chosen ODOP products at all points in their respective supply chains to increase their market accessibility and harness their export potential.
With an objective of enhancing the product, bettering the life of the producer and improving the process, the interventions undertaken by the ODOP team encompass the development of all aspects of the district.
Link to apply for the award is: https://awards.gov.in/Home/AwardLibrary
Ministry of Mines
India to Host 36th International Geological Congress in March 2020
India is gearing up to host the 36th International Geological Congress  in the capital during the first week of March next year. The theme of the forthcoming conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Development’. Popularly described as the Olympics of Geosciences, the IGCs are a prestigious global geoscientific events held once in four years and participated by around 5000-6000 geoscientists from all across the world.
In a bid to gear up for the same, a half-day interactive workshop was held in the capital yesterday which was inaugurated by the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. M. Rajeevan, and Secretary Coal & Mines, Shri Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Coal & Mines. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Jain said that the 36th IGC is expected to provide a platform for international cooperation in all major field of geosciences including launching of collaborative programs, provision of investment opportunities in mining, mineral exploration and environmental management and related enterprises. Dr. M. Rajeevan said that the forthcoming IGC would help us in dealing with the problems of sustainability, energy crisis, water crisis, climate change, environmental issues and resource management.
Dr.M.Rajeevan, Secretary, Earth Sciences  and Shri Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Coal & Mines  addressing the workshop
Informing about the highlights of the forthcoming 36th IGC, it was said that it has an exhaustive Science program and an impressive range of field excursions. A state-of-the-art geo exposition will be held alongside the Congress where leading companies in the mines and mineral sector will showcase their products and services. Considering the scale and importance of the event, an emphatic participation from states was sought as they stand to benefit immensely from the scientific conclave.
It may be noted that India is the only Asian country to host the event twice. In 1964, India had hosted it for the first time, which was the 22nd IGC. The event was inaugurated by the then President of India Dr.SarvepalliRadhakrishnan. The IGC is making a comeback to the Indian soil after 56 long years much to the enthusiasm of the entire geoscientific community. The event is being funded by the Ministry of Mines  and Ministry of Earth Sciences  with the support of the Indian National Science Academy  and the national Science Academies of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Geological Survey of India is the nodal agency for organizing the event
The interactive half day conference held in the capital was attended by Dr.K.Rajeswara Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Padma Shri V.P. Dimri, President, 36th IGC and Shri Alok Chandra, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Mines. The workshop was attended by senior level officers of 14 State Governments who evinced great interest in all aspects of the Congress.
Ministry of Communications
Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme
Department of Telecommunications  under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative aims to promote ecosystem for research & development and make India a global hub of development of technologies and manufacturing of telecom equipment including Core transmission Equipment, 4G/5G Next Generation Radio Access Network and Wireless Equipment, Access & Customer Premises Equipment , Internet of Things , Access Devices, Other Wireless Equipment and Enterprise equipment like Switches, Routers, etc.
DoT has notified Production Linked Incentive  Scheme on 24.02.2021 to promote telecom and networking products including design led manufacturing in India with financial outlay of Rs. 12,195 crores over Scheme period. Under this Scheme, there are 42 companies with funds sanction of Rs. 11,508 crores. Rs. 902.87 crores have been sanctioned under the PLI Scheme for companies in Tamil Nadu. However, no company has applied under PLI Scheme from Assam and Rajasthan.
Under PLI Scheme for telecom and networking products, these 42 companies have committed investment of Rs. 4,115 crores, additional sales of Rs. 2.45 Lakh crores and create employment of more than 44,000 over the scheme period. Against this target, achievements from 1st April 2021 till 31st October 2022 are cumulative investment of Rs. 952 crores, sales of Rs. 16,313 crores and employment of 11,847 numbers.
Under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of DoT, the target is to deploy end-to-end indigenously developed telecom technology products. Efforts by the government and Indian industry members have led the development of indigenous 4G stack for deployment in the Bharat Sanchar Network Limited commercial network. Further, with the objective to build a strong ecosystem for 5G, DoT has sanctioned 17 companies under design-led manufacturing.
5G Alliance & IoT Innovation Centre has been launched by Centre for Development of Telematics  to support multiple Indian Startups and MSMEs for developing open RAN compliant 5G equipment.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Inaugural conclave on “National Capital Region -2041” to be held in Delhi
The inaugural conclave “NCR-2041” with the theme “Planning for Tomorrow’s Greatest Capital Region” will be held in the national capital on 11th November 2019. The Regional Plan-2041 for NCR will be among the key instruments to address various issues related to harmonious development of the largest metropolitan region of the world. The Conclave will be chaired by Shri D.S. Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Govt. of India.
The Conclave will have participation from all NCR participating States, concerned Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India, Knowledge Institutions, Industries, Housing Associations, Subject Experts, Field Officers from various districts, and other stakeholders. Engagement of experts from various organizations/stakeholders is being ensured for successful preparation of this multi-sectoral regional plan. This is an effort to encourage a deeper participation from all the stakeholders. It is an effort that understands planning for this vast and diverse region to make it “Future-Ready”, which can be achieved through an inclusive and consultative exercise with active participation of all stakeholders.
The Regional Plan with the horizon year 2021 was notified on 17th of September 2005 and is presently in force. A Regional Plan with next horizon year 2041 is required to be prepared now. The Regional Plan addresses various sectors namely Transport, Water, Sewerage, Solid Waste, Power, Regional Land use, etc. As per a report by United Nation, Delhi is slated to become the world’s largest metropolis overtaking Tokyo by 2028.
The National Capital Region  is a distinct federal setup having the National Capital Territory of Delhi as its core. It is a unique example of inter-state regional planning and development. The NCR covers around 55,083 sq.kms. of area with around 60 million population. The constituent areas of the National Capital Region are as under:
- Entire National Capital Territory of Delhi
- Haryana sub-region comprises of districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Sonepat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Mewat, Palwal, Panipat, Mahendregarh, Jind, Karnal, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri.
- Rajasthan sub-region comprises of districts of Alwar and Bharatpur.
- Uttar Pradesh Sub-region comprises of districts of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bulandsahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.
For the development of above, the National Capital Region Planning Board  was constituted by the Act of Parliament in 1985, as a statutory body under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Govt. of India. The NCRPB is tasked to evolve harmonized policies for the control of land-uses and development of infrastructure in the region so as to avoid any haphazard development.
Ministry of Home Affairs
The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presents three Padma Vibhushan, four Padma Bhushan and forty seven Padma Shri Awards for the year 2023 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today
An Investiture Ceremony was held with grandeur today  in Darbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented three Padma Vibhushan, four Padma Bhushan and forty seven Padma Shri Awards for the year 2023.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were the Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, Union Minister for Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, other Ministers of the Union and dignitaries.
After the Investiture Ceremony, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah and other Union Ministers interacted with the Padma Awardees at a dinner hosted by the Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Padma Awardees will pay homage at the National War Memorial tomorrow morning .They will also visit the Amrit Udyan and Rashtrapati Bhawanas well as will visit Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.
Special Service and Features
Students and parents should attend Prime Minister's 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' in large numbers Puducherry Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan
For the past four years, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been conducting 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' programme to prepare students for the exam and to encourage them to face the exam without fear.
The fifth edition takes place tomorrow. The Prime Minister's talk show will be aired live around the world. Speaking at a press conference organised by the Press Information Bureau Chennai at Puducherry Raj Nivas today, Lt Governor of Puducherry and Governor of Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan urged students, parents and teachers to attend 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' in large numbers.
Students were psychologically affected as schools were closed during Covid-19 period. In this situation, it is very important that the Prime Minister himself voluntarily encourages students to write the exam without fear, hesitation or anxiety. Tomorrow at Puducherry Raj Nivas, 50 students will watch the Prime Minister's show on screen. Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said they will be given copies of the book Exam Warriors written by the Prime Minister.
Press Information Bureau Chennai Additional Director General Shri M Annadurai presided over the press conference.
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Special Service and Features
Bell metal Works from Kerala set to feature at the Crafts Bazaar, G20 Summit in New Delhi
On the side-lines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a ‘Crafts Bazaar’  is being set up in Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan from 8-10 September, 2023. This Crafts Bazaar will showcase handicraft products from different parts of India with a special focus on One District One Product , GI tagged items and products crafted by women & tribal artisans. Delegates, international media participating in the Summit will have an opportunity to visit this Crafts Bazaar and purchase locally sourced products. The Bazaar would thus, not only promote made in India products on a global stage, but also open up new economic and market opportunities for local artisans. The exhibition is being organized by the G20 Secretariat in coordination with the Ministry of Textiles and State/UT Governments. Around thirty States and UTs as well as six Central agencies including, Khadi Village & Industries Commission, TRIFED, Saras Ajeevika, National Bamboo Mission etc., will be participating in the Crafts Bazaar.
Kerala has a rich tradition of copper alloys and ritual metal ware used for sophisticated lost-wax bronze and bell metal casting. Nadavaramba, is a significant centre for copper alloy production, particularly for making cooking vessels, that are called Uruli, or vessels for making food for the Gods. The traditional production process of bell metal work involves the use of clay moulds and hand lathe turning, resulting in flawless casting. Kerala’s metal working traditions involve labour-intensive processes and traditional techniques that have survived for over centuries and reflect the extraordinary skill of its craftsmen.
Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation
Swachh Sankalp se Swachh Siddhi Competition
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the clarion call to achieve a New India by 2022 under Sankalp se Siddhi, a mass resolve to make all dirt and filth quit India. In pursuit of this vision, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is organising countrywide Film, Essay and Painting Competition between 17th August and 8th September, 2017 as another major step towards making Swachhta, a people’s movement. The core objective is to generate mass involvement in Swachh Bharat Mission  and related issues.
The themes of the aforesaid competitions, to be held under the overall banner of Swachh Sankalp se Swachh Siddhi, are :
· Essay Competition: मैं स्वच्छता के लिए क्या करूँगा/ करुँगी? What can I do for making India clean?
· Film Competition: भारत को स्वच्छ बनाने में मेरा योगदान. My contribution to make India clean.
· Painting Competition: मेरे सपनों का स्वच्छ भारत / Clean India of my Dreams.
This competition is only for Primary School students.
Based on the aforesaid competitions, the National Swachh Bharat Awards shall be presented on 2nd October, 2017. The exercise needs to be completed by 8th September 2017.
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry
India is working on clean energy mission with a collective mindset: Shri Piyush Goyal
Envisions that one day Power will almost become free in the world because of renewable sources
Union Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has said that India is working on Clean energy mission with a collective mindset. Speaking at the Valedictory function of the First World Solar Technology Summit organized by International Solar Alliance  on Tuesday, Shri Goyal said “The best part about India's own engagement with clean energy is that we are working with a collective mindset, breaking all departmental silos and working to support each other to finally achieve a cleaner future for our future generations.”
Shri Goyal said that Solar energy and new technologies will certainly power our tomorrow to make the world a cleaner and better place for living. “Going forward, we will have no choice but to be pure in our sources of energy & to be sure that we all participate in making this future happen & secure a better future for our children of tomorrow”, he added.
Lauding the initiatives by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry under Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to usher in a gas-based economy in India, the Minister said that the game-changing & transformational initiatives will help the country’s smooth transit from the Fossil fuels to Renewable sources of energy.
Shri Goyal envisioned that one day Power will almost become free in the world. He said “I envisage India, which has a demonstrated capability to go up to 745 GW of solar energy alone, will be providing power to other parts of the world in their peak hours. I see an interconnected grid across the world. I visualise a world grid with transmission lines crossing oceans, such that we can transmit energy throughout the world.” He said that Sun always shines in some part of the world, Wind always gives its benevolence in the form of energy in some part of the world, and Water through hydro energy provides a source of power in different part of the world.
Describing the decision at COP-21 summit in Paris to reduce carbon emission levels as the most important collective decision taken in several years, Shri Goyal said “This was most important collective decision for better cleaner future for all. We had decided to work towards a cleaner & better future of our world, decided what each country would do to bring down carbon emissions & to collectively agree that it shall be a global responsibility of all stakeholders to address the challenge of Climate Change.”
Congratulating International Solar Alliance for gaining acceptance in over 100 countries, Shri Goyal called upon all to join hands together to harness the infinite power of the SURAJ: S- Stable, U- Unconditional, R- Renewable, A- Affordable, J- Justice.
Ministry of Railways
Modernisation and Starting of Rake Points
Modernisation of existing rake points and starting of new rake points in the country is a need based ongoing process subject to commercial justification, operational requirement, technical feasibility and resource availability. 60 works of rake point improvement have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 1,975 Cr. Out of these 60 works, 31 works have been completed and others are in various stages of execution.
There is no restriction in booking of rakes for movement of fertilisers. There are sufficient number of rakes available with Railways for movement of fertilisers to various loading points across India. Indian Railways has carried 24.26 Million Tonnes of fertilisers for the period from 1st April, 2020 to 15th September, 2020, as against 22.58 Million Tonnes for the period from 1st April, 2019 to 15th September, 2019 with an increase of 7.44%.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.